The Outsider
by America's Roast Beef Yes Sir
Summary: Three brave soldiers abandon their post when they discover the harsh secrets of the fire nation. The trio dodge every move that Ozai and his minions dish out as they attempt to escape his grasp. Meanwhile, a new weapon is being developed: the pistol.
1. Joining the Squad

This is wrong. I knew it was part of my job, and I had to do it, but it was just wrong. I loved the fire nation; their youth, their people, the environment. I just didn't like the government. I understood what my duty was, but every man has their own destiny, no matter what they should or shouldn't do.

My name is Kento. I am a first-string fire nation soldier under the command of Captain Muran. Each day, I go under his wing and train alongside with him; along with 49 other soldiers. I joined because I loved my kingdom. But when time passed by, I learned that the kingdom I knew wasn't what I thought it was. Of course, my story didn't start here.

**Chapter 1: Joining the Squad**

I walked up the bridge and entered the isolated courtyard, where bulk and muscular men were enlisting. I approached an empty stall as I felt the drafter there examine me with his eyes.

"Name?" he asked, in a monotone voice that was very deep.

"Kento," I answered.

"Can you firebend?"

"Yes, sir," I answered again.

"Where are you coming from?"

"Here."

"Here?"

"The fire nation."

"Exactly."

The drafter was writing very sharply. When he was done, he gave me a piece of paper with some information on it and said, "You will meet back at this courtyard with some firebending instructors and they will lead you to the conditioning camp. If you survive it, you will become an enforcer of this kingdom." I took the paper from his hand. "IF you survive."

If I survived? That stirred up many thoughts in my head. What will we have to do in such a camp? Run endlessly? Increase muscle endurance in a rapid fashion?

I waited for the next few days for a message to come to me for the meeting at the courtyard. Once it did, I gathered my canteen, a bag, and a pair of extra clothes. Then I remembered that this was a tough man's zone; conditioning camp. I didn't care. If they told me to scrap the bag and extra clothes, then I will.

I arrived at the courtyard. The air was very moist and sticky. I knew that this was going to be a long walk to the camp. We gathered in organized forms: three sections with 25 people in each section. There were exactly 75 people. We began the walk and I was amazed at how the landscape changed so quickly. They went from trees to mountains to plains and back to forests. Observing this took up a lot of time and got our group to the camp faster. "Camp Wingman" was what it said on the wooden arches when we entered through the front. I saw many men there training. Each one had a uniform, but not the uniform I was familiar with. They wore sleeveless white tops with fire-red cotton pants and black boots. No man stood out. They all looked the same. They had the same haircut. The same expression on their faces. The same stance. The same amount of power. The same balance. Nobody stood out. Not even the instructors.

But one.

This instructor looked very powerful and was the only one that stood out. But why? He had the same uniform and haircut as anyone else did in the camp. The only thing was his expression. There was a grimace on his face as he watched the others. I focused on the leader in front of us as he was giving us instructions.

"You are all to report to Section 3 to get your tents," the leader said. "There are to be 4 people per tent, which means 4 uniforms are already set for you. They all look the same. They all are the same color. So don't whine about how pretty or ugly you look. There are other 225 men here who don't feel the same way and don't have a problem with it. Now go get your tents. There are already sleeping bags there. Once you are settled in, change into your uniforms and meet us back at the training courtyard. Dismissed!"

So we all did as we were told. As I entered section 3, I surveyed the area. Not for anything special, but to see if anyone was there. Funny, no one was. And there were only 225 people here. There must be more on the way.

I entered a tent. There was already someone in it. Well, it couldn't hurt to be friendly.

"This isn't taken, is it?" I said.

"Nope, come on in," the man said inside. He was older than me. Two other men came inside, dressed in miscellaneous attire.

"Well, well, if it ain't Oishi," a strong man said behind me to another.

"Blast," another man said. "You just had to pick this tent."

"Or this section, for that matter," the man called Oishi said to the strong man. They all knew each other.

"So you all know each other?" I asked.

"Yeh," Oishi said. "We were in the same squad before our first leave, and we're in the same one again. And in the same tent, too. What a coincedence." He took a seat on a sleeping bag that was far against the back of the tent. "I don't remember you, though. What squad were you with? Maroon?"

"No, this is my first year here," I responded. They grew silent, fortunately for a short time.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to introduce ourselves, would it?" Oishi said. "I'm Oishi, and the strong guy behind you is Io."

"Pleased to meet you," Io said in a deep voice, which made my chest vibrate.

"The wimpy guy over there near the tent entrance is Kai," Oishi introduced the last one, who was already changed into his uniform.

"There's a changing outpost located a few tents behind us," Kai said. So, the strong-looking man was Io, the standard-looking man was Kai, and the old-looking man was Oishi. Funny.

"The four men who share the same tent usually share the same attack lines, so don't be hesitating to communicate with us," Oishi said. I took my uniform and black boots and went to the changing outpost.

-

I jogged to the training courtyard. There was another one parallel to it. The ground was dusty and full of gravel, which was there for a reason. I entered the correct courtyard, which was where I saw Io and Kai dusting off their uniforms. We were organized into five sections; eight people each section. The other 35 people were probably scheduled to train after us.

The time of training came and the instructors walked to the front of the courtyard, where all the attention was given. Then I was surprised. The instructor was the man with the nasty grimace. The other co-teachers were single-filed beside him. He stood centerfront and got ready to speak.

"Good afternoon," he said. He had a firm and strong voice that captured ALL of our attention. "I am Captain Muran. You are to address me by this name, or you may address me as the name 'Captain.' I will be your instructor for the rest of my life until the day I get killed." He walked over to the drawing board that was behind him. "The Wingman Squadron fighting chemistry is simple: we fight as one. Not many, but one. Fighting as one strengthens our attack blows and penetration. We defend as one. That way, if one of you slip up and force your fighting line into unnecessary peril, then you will be stuck with a painful regret which will go along with you forever. So, an equal amount of pressure is put on each soldier."

This man was very difficult to withstand because his chemistry made sense in eccentric ways. I was comfortable with this style.

"Those that were with Wingman last year know our chemistry and have mastered it," Captain Muran stated, "So I shouldn't see the sophomores slipping up. Our defense has changed up a bit, though." He picked up a writing utensil and drew the defense set-up coming out of the offense attack line. "When you break out of the attack line, four men are to yaw to the left, four men are to yaw to the right. You check your sides for any enemies, then you face back-to-back, so each man is defending each other." He drew a line through the middle, separating defensive strategies from offensive strategies. "Our offensive attack line is simple; eight men per line and same attack procedure is performed by each soldier. A quick right blow is sent followed by a left kick attack, a left hand attack, and then side-step to right leg attack." He demonstrated the moves for us. It looked very lethal coming from a couple of easy moves. "Now, this may sound like a gymnastics session, but gymnastics can't burn a man's head off. I have used this offensive strategy for many years, and since then Wingman Squadron has accomplished many tasks and objectives which impressed the fire lord. It may seem easy, but it will be hard. EVERY SINGLE MOVE must be timed correctly. If an interval is even SLIGHTLY off-timing, your attack line will fall. Get into your lines."

The training went on. It was hard, but I didn't expect it to be peaches and cream. We ran, we lifted, we even did breathing excercises, and still, I didn't think of Muran to be a hard-ass...yet.

-


	2. Session

**Chapter 2: Session**

I couldn't run any longer. When we were done, I dropped to the ground, unable to take the slightest step. Then I remembered; a can't show weakness. I got up, sucking in the pain, and walked around a bit, to get my legs out of its running hypnosis. The other soldiers were leaning against posts and collapsing on the ground. It seemed like I was the only one standing, besides Oishi and Io. Kai must have been transferred to the group that was training after us.

"Get up, you pieces of scum!" an instructor said. "Before we give you five more laps!" The others got up. A lot of guys were gagging. "Assemble in front of Muran!"

We got into our previous section organizations as training group B went out into the track for 16 laps.

"Now, I know all of you are tired and feel like throwing up your guts," Muran said, "But we do this running for a reason. As you can tell, we are a VERY small group. We can be easily outnumbered. If you don't know, going against an army of earthbending rats is worse than going against an army of waterbending rats. Earthbenders are fearless and show no mercy. If we need to retreat, they WILL chase us. And the only time we fight individually is when we retreat." That was our weakness: quantity. We didn't have many soldiers. But why? Why aren't we large in numbers? Quantity equals strength, and you need strength to win the war. "Training session is over for today, so get some rest. Tomorrow won't be easier. Dismissed!"

-

It was weird for Captain Muran not to mention some of the key things of the war, like the Avatar, or Ba Sing Se, or the Northern Water Tribe; anything that relates to the war. But I think I knew why he was here, and why Oishi, Io, and Kai were here, too. It wasn't because of the war, it was because they loved their country. They loved their people. I felt the same, too. Maybe all 300 soldiers at Wingman are here for the same exact reason.

Back at the tent, we didn't talk much. At late night, someone started a campfire in the middle of the section. We all gathered around it and talked. We talked about hardships, the war, the Avatar, and so on. But there was one topic that really got my attention.

"Did anyone hear about the transfer?" a man shouted. Several confirmations were scattered across the crowd.

"What transfer?" I asked.

"Two-hundred and fifty men are leaving this camp and are going to the frontlines," he replied. "They are leaving us 50 at section 3."

"Only 50?" I responded. "That's outrageous. That's ludicrous. Why not take us with them, too?"

"Are you blind, boy?" another man from the crowd laughed. "We barely have any experience with the war. None of us have been to the frontlines, not even the sophomores that are out here with us."

From what I am learning, Camp Wingman is getting very strange. I'm getting the idea that this camp is being let go from the string of other conditioning camps.

"Do you know why this camp is so small in numbers?" a man with a heavy southern fire nation accent said. Everyone looked at the man. "One day, a couple years ago, during a training session, Captain Muran went furious. Loco. He went rage on a man that couldn't keep up with his attack lines. He beat the snot out of him; almost killed him. Since then, people were too scared to enlist to Wingman."

"He didn't seem so bad today," I replied.

"Oh, there's this thing called regret," the southern fire nation man said. "He was sent to a rehabilitation center for the mentally ill. Man, I never looked at him the same way again."

"I once heard that he kept a goldfish in a fish bowl at his tent to help keep him calm," a joke was announced which made others laugh. This was no laughing matter, though.

"That ain't funny, man," the soldier with the southern fire nation accent said. "Anyway, he became the laughingstock of Camp Hellfire - one of the more official training camps - and lit a hut on fire. Man, Muran is no joke. So you rookies should watch out. The last thing you want to do is make the Captain mad."

There was a short silence, but it was broken fast, "What was the name of that Admiral who led the raid against the Northern Water Tribe?"

"I'm pretty sure it was Admiral Zuccini." More laughs. It was the same joker.

"Zhao," I said. "Admiral Zhao. I met him once, when I was young." Commotion spread throughout the crowd by the fire. "Yeah. He was an ordinary naval soldier, back then. He had the same monkey face and still acted like a higher-ranking officer. But boy, he was a war hero. he wasn't stuck-up and always looking to make a name for himself, like he was before he was deceased."

I was always against the Northern Water Tribe raid. Admiral Zhao only commenced it due to his dream of becoming a legend. I have nothing against the Water Tribe; it was the Earth Kingdom.

"Enough about the Monkey," the joker replied. "How 'bout that Princess Azula? Man, she's a looker."

"Please," a man behind me yelled out. "I've seen better-looking rhinos than Azula."

"I wouldn't be talking about her looks," the man with the southern fire nation accent stated. "She was crazy enough to gain control of the Capital City. I sometimes hear that she keeps the heads of her enemies in a jar, or something."

Conversations went on and on. The more I learned, the more I began to think the war was pointless. Wars are supposed to be over conflict, and I have seen no conflict.

Besides the Avatar.

"Can you believe the Avatar's dead?" I said.

"Yeah..." the joker responded. "We are probably the last enlisters, which means that we are the closers of the war!"

Cheering commenced around the fire. I was the only one that was silent.

"It will only depend on how we close the war," Kai said.

"I heard that Wingman got sent to the naval fleet for an assault on the Southern Water Tribe," the man with the southern accent said. "They are rebuilding fast, and if they are destroyed, then all fire nation forces are directed onto the Northern Water Tribe. We then have control of the Water Nation."

"That is the stupidest lie I've ever heard!" the joker said. Quarreling began among the crowd, leaving me to think about the war. Taking over the southern water tribe was wrong. The only people that are there are civilians. I couldn't imagine the fire nation slaughter civilians like that. We started the war for a reason. Land. We were desperate for land, and no nation volunteered to assist us. We had no choice but to attack. That was back then, and this is now.

-

Blow. Kick. Blow. Kick. Stomp. Deflect. And perfectly timed. I recovered into my attack stance.

"It seems that only one of our soldiers has mastered the timing of the attack procedure," Captain Muran stated. "Pick it up, men. I need to see improvement."

I was surprised to see some people struggling with the manuever. Muran made the same grimace like yesterday. Io and Oishi weren't getting the timing down right either. My attack line regrouped and we did the procedure again. Blow. Kick. Blow. Kick. Stomp. Deflect. Stabilize.

"No!" Muran snapped. "Your timing is off-balanced!" He wiped sweat off of his forehead. "Again!"

Training went on. Muran grew more impatient each time someone made a mistake.

When training was over, I was drained. I crawled into the tent and collapsed on my sleeping bag, only to be awakened in the middle of the night.


	3. The Escape

**Chapter 3: The Escape**

The sound of rustling woke me up. I looked around and saw that everybody was sleeping. But...where was Io?

I exited the tent. It was very quiet, now. I suddenly heard commotion coming from the training courtyard. The sound got louder and louder as I followed it. There were cries of pain and sorrow; the kinds of sounds that you will never forget. I heard a whisper behind me.

"What's going on?" Oishi said. "No one is back at the sector." I motioned silence to him. He understood. I knew Oishi and Kai could hear the sound. We followed it and finally saw what it was.

I was horrified.

Earth kingdom citizens were lined up one after another, with fire nation soldiers each holding an attacking stance towards them. Io was among one of the soldiers. They can't be prisoners of war... Women and children were among the citizens, too. This is slaughter!

Oishi, Kai, and I hid behind a bush. "What are they doing?" Oishi whispered. "This is madness!"

"Let's not jump to conclusions," I said.

Captain Muran appeared from the shadows of the courtyard and stood in front of the long, endless line of prisoners.

"Coming among fire nation soil makes you prisoners of war," Muran stated. "You have been captured and you will be killed in the name of the Fire Lord."

This isn't right. This is homicide. How can the fire lord issue such an order? "Captain, please!" a male prisoner exclaimed. "We were on the way to the Southern Water tribe to help rebuild! We were lost! Our arrival at the fire nation was unplanned!" Muran backhanded the man as he fell to the ground. Children were crying. Women were trying to protect the young. This was a nightmare.

"As I was saying," Muran continued as he was rubbing his hand, "Your acts of freedom will be halted today and the Earth kingdom's lesson will be learned when they recieve the message that 78 captives were killed due to their senseless acts of anarchy." What was Muran talking about? "It doesn't matter what you know now, though. Consequence is more powerful than reward, and you will get your consequence. Just because a slight miscalculation in direction..."

I gazed at the soldiers. Some were calm, like Io, and some were smiling. They were literally _smiling. _Is this what the fire nation is like? Is this what the men, women, and children of the fire nation want? I didn't want it.

"The fire nation is a very 'strict' nation," Muran resumed, "We teach our citizens discipline and individuality. Every single man, woman, and child knows this, and each one of them want you dead. Take the captured city of Ba Sing Se, for example..." Captain Muran walked back and forth as his meaningless and disgraceful lecture continued. "Ba Sing Se is a city; a capital, to be exact. People there never get along well. Lower class doesn't have any discipline, though the higher class is very snobby and ridicule the lower ones. When the city came down, they became closer than ever, no matter what the 'class' was. This detail points out that your nation is powerless when they are afraid. Now where is the discipline and individuality in that? Fire nation citizens' hatred towards you increases each day. And every single soldier here knows that. Simki, does your family honor the regulations of the fire lord?"

"Yes, sir," a soldier answered automatically. "My wife hangs a flag on top of the kitchen, sir. My son recites the fire nation pledge of allegiance each day."

"Yoshi, how about your family?"

"Same, sir," another answered. "My wife never disrespects the fire nation. She loves her country and government."

"Io?"

"I always support the fire lord," he answered.

Muran grimaced towards the prisoners. "I could go on and on, and hear the same from each soldier."

I was overwhelmed by the thoughts that conjured up in my mind. The people of the fire nation were puppets of the government. They couldn't care less if civilians were slaughtered. Well, I care, and I can't stand this. This isn't the nation I thought is was anymore. This can't be my homeland. It's too macabre to be true. If this is the way my country is, then I can't be a citizen of it anymore.

"What the hell is that Muran talking about?" Kai whispered. Suddenly, I felt a great tug on my shirt. I tried to escape the grasp, but I was restrained. A group of soldiers cuffed our hands behind our backs, gave us a few cheap shots, and roughed us into the courtyard.

"Hey, captain, looks like we got us a couple of spies," a soldier that captured us said. We were brought front-and-center as I could feel all eyes on us.

Muran was not surprised, "Oishi, Kai, and Kento. I'm not surprised. I hoped you three would stay asleep..." The captain took me by the metal cuffs, pulled me to a prisoner, and made a proposition. "If you three would have stayed asleep, you wouldn't be in this position. Tell you what, Kento. If you kill this prisoner and prove to me you got guts, then I won't order my men to kill you. But if you refuse, I'll order them to kill you, nice and slow."

There was a long moment of silence. I hesitated to look at the prisoners. I did, but not his eyes, "I won't do it."

"Kento, you must," Io responded. "It is every soldier's duty."

The soldier that captured me struck me in the stomach and dropped me in the knees, just to make it easier to drag me back to the same place.

"I knew you three would never have the heart of a soldier," Muran stated. "It's a shame... you had the best form, too." He motioned to a soldier, taking his hand and moving it across his throat.

A soldier brought out a sword and dropped me to my knees. He took the sword up, getting ready to decapitate me. Just when he was about to bring it down, two huge explosions occurred on each side of me!

"Take cover!" Muran yelled. Oishi, Kai, and I got down on the ground as the courtyard began to be filled with dust and smoke. Numerous fire blasts and explosions were heard. Commotion erupted.

"Earthbenders! Earthbenders!"

"Take cover!"

"Assemble attack lines!"

"Retreat!"

"Watch those rocks!"

We couldn't see a thing. The three of us stayed close to each other as possible, trying not to get lost. Oishi managed to take off his cuffs, and ours, too. We sprinted to the camp front gates, dodging the earth kingdom's soldiers' earthbending attacks. Because of their surprise attack, we were able to escape.

We ran and ran and ran, but we had no idea we were being chased.

**

* * *

**

"Shit, man!" Kai yelled, pacing back and forth and kicking logs and rocks whenever he got the chance, "What the heck are we doing? We should go back!"

"We can't," I said, "There's a war still going on there." We could hear the fire explosions. "Besides, we will still get killed if we do."

"What are we gonna do then?" Kai exclaimed. "We're not thinking clearly..."

"I am," Oishi said. "I am thinking clearer than ever. The fire nation isn't what is looks like."

"But it can't be true!" Kai replied.

"That's why we're going to Camp Hellfire to find out," Oishi responded.

Camp Hellfire was the main conditioning camp of the fire nation. It had all the archives and amendments there that the fire nation assigns. We need information. Now.

"What?" Kai exclaimed.

"Calm down!" I yelled. We were overwhelmed. Steam was hissing out of Kai's head. "Now, let's sit down and talk about this. We are alone. We are now enemies of the fire nation. I know this is a dramatic change, but the fire nation is not what it used to be anymore, and we can't do anything about it. Kai, do you really want to be part of _this_ kind of country?"

"No..."

"Then straighten yourself out," I said. "We are going to Camp Hellfire to get information."

I had a headache. My head was boiling from the overwhelming sequence I just experienced. This isn't a dream.

This is reality.

-

[A/N: It's funny how the latest episode (The Headband) just forced a bunch of Avatar fanfics to be written... that was quite predictable.


	4. Hellfire

**Chapter 4:  
Hellfire**

**_PART I_**

It was the first break of dawn. We searched out the location of Camp Hellfire and hunted down any soldiers that were linked to it for information. We found a few, but we proceeded on to the original objective. The longest day of my life, I suppose... just ten hours ago, I dismembered from what I thought was sanctuary. Now I'm with two people I hardly even know. We found a cave and took a rest inside, avoiding any visibility.

"You got any kids, Kento?" Oishi asked me as I rubbed my eyes from exhaustion. We sat on two boulders as Kai looked around the cave.

"No," I replied. I wasn't old enough to have kids. Actually, I wasn't sure if I was old enough to have a wife. "Do you?" I asked, after a moment of silence.

"Yes," he responded. "Two daughters."

"How old?"

"One is 13, the other is 5." I nodded in confirmation. It's hard. It's very hard to do what he is doing now. He has a family that lives in the fire nation, yet he is risking everything for something we aren't so sure of yet.

"Oishi, are you sure you know what you're doing?" I asked.

Before he could answer, I heard a rustling sound that seemed to be rushed. I quickly shifted towards the entrance of the cave. Someone is around this place.

Oishi and Kai each got on the sides of the cave as I was in the middle. On my command, they each went out and didn't see a thing. I scouted out the bushes as they looked around in the forest. Suddenly, a sound of heavy, fast footsteps were heard. By the frequent rustling and running, I could tell that someone was organizing a raid.

"Watch every corner," I whispered to them. Right when I heard a heavy breath intake beside me, I hit the dirt as a fire blast zoomed right over me, nearly burning my head off. "On the right!"

Kai sent numerous fire attacks towards the enemy's direction as Oishi watched his back. I crawled towards a tree and got up, looking around. I spotted four soldiers behind the two.

"Get down!" I yelled. I sent spheres of fire towards the six soldiers that failed to ambush us. I got one of them, but he was not down. The group split up and started to make a run for it. I signaled Oishi and Kai to get one group of three as I chased the other.

I couldn't stop for an attack; the soldiers were fast and I would be outran if I slowed down even a single step. The three soldiers seemed to be heading towards a village. Those bastards. They want me to be seen by a crowd of loyal citizens. I wanted to stop them before they could get there, but it was too late. The soldiers entered the village, stopped, turned around and attacked me with strong fire blasts. I dropped to the ground as soon as the fires approached me. The civilians were shouting and gasping. Some were even cheering, just for pure adrenaline. The three soldiers infiltrated the village as I followed them. We ended up at a Merchant Row, but the soldiers were nowhere to be seen.

Weaving my way through the merchants and citizens, I looked around; stall by stall, alley by alley. They certainly disappeared. I spotted a courtyard and entered it. The place was unanticipatedly empty, leaving me alone in the middle of the courtyard. I looked around. Every wall was closed. Only one entrance. They couldn't be in this place, but it seemed too conspicuous.

As soon as I was about to exit the courtyard, three silhouetted figures jumped down from a cottage roof, landing right in front of me. It was the three original soldiers, beginning to attack me with fire blasts. I easily dodged them and returned the favor. After I knocked one down, I soon realized that you needed rapid strength and agility to defeat these guys. Launching endless fire blasts at the two remaining enemies, a crowd began to watch us from the far entrance of the courtyard. Sweat poured down my head. Thank goodness... only one left.

We circled around a lone crate, presumably trying to find a good moment when the opponent is not looking. But, he was taking the time to absorb the energy from the sun. This guy uses his strength, not his mind. I lit the crate on fire and rolled to the side, sending attacks to his side. Due to the distraction of the fire, I stunned him and took him out.

Getting up, I dusted myself off and looked around. All soldiers were down. They were moving, but they were too injured to walk or even get up. I looked towards the courtyard entrance. The crowd of merchants and civilians looked at me in shock. I walked towards them, and without waiting, they got out of the way and let me pass.

-

When I returned to the cave, I discovered that Oishi and Kai weren't there. They might be fending off those soldiers still. I abruptly heard running behind me. Turning around, I discovered that it was Kai. He looked frantic.

"They got him!" he said, still running towards. "More soldiers arrived! We were badly outnumbered! There was nothing I could do!" He stopped, bending down in exhaustion, trying to catch up to his breath.

"Slow down," I said. "What happened?"

"The soldiers captured Oishi," he said, breathing hard. "We were outnumbered a thousand to 2. He was surrounded. There was nothing I could've done."

"Do you know where they took him?" I asked.

"Hellfire."

**_PART II_**

It was in the dead of night; I'd say around 2200 HRS. We've made our way into the boundaries of Camp Hellfire, but there isn't much visibility now. Kai and I are planning to attack as soon as the sky begins to light up. I observed the boundaries. There were blockade walls, about 20 feet high, surrounding the entrance. There were also two watchtowers on each side of the wall. Getting in and out will be tough. It may have to be a solo mission.

The two of us concentrated really hard on staying awake, but the pure adrenaline that was going to take place at dawn would keep us wide awake. We scouted out each side of the camp. it was an enormous establishment, and we had no idea what was inside. What if there were a hundred guards behind that wall? Looking for any opening or weakpoint in the camp walls, I ran around Hellfire, not seeing a single thing. The only thing that came to my attention was... a worn-out wall that looked like it was flooded by acid for years and years. Maybe if I could send a strong fire blast into the wall, it can collapse. But it will attract everybody in the camp. This can't be an option.

I rendezvous with Kai at the forest corridor in front of the camp.

"Find anything?" Kai asked. "Me nothing..."

"I found a worn-out wall that I could probably bring down," I replied. "But if I do, it will attract too much attention."

"Well, maybe we can use it for something else," Kai responded. "Like-"

"A distraction!" I said strongly. "A loud distraction that will bring everybody's attention to the back of the camp..."

"Leaving the front unguarded!" Kai finished. "But that means that one of us must go solo on this one."

"I will," I said. "I have the stronger attacks. So if all else fails, I'll know what to do."

"Then it's set."

-

It was pitch dark at 0300 HRS. The campfires at Hellfire and the moon and stars were the only sources of light we can have. If a fire is started by us, attention is drawn to us.

Kai managed to steal two black pair of clothes from a nearby village. We changed into them and scrapped our original clothes. Kai also got two black clothe masks to cover our faces. There were only two holes in them, and those were only for our eyes. I jokingly presumed ourselves as "Mockeries of the Blue Spirit," in honor of the folktale character. But I knew that this was no time for jokes.

The night was quiet. I could hear chatter and laughing coming from the camp. They don't know what coming to them. Unless we fail. I don't know what it looks like inside the camp yet. I'll have to go in, save Oishi, steal info from the archives, and escape. It will be harder getting out than getting in.

The time was now at 0500 HRS, depicted from the sky. Just 30 more minutes until the assault. I led Kai to the back wall, where the distraction would be taken place.

"It's important for you to blast the heck out of that worn-out wall," I whispered. "I will whistle a bird call when it's time for you to do your part. It may take one attack, or two, or even three. Don't stop until that wall is down. As soon as it is, launch 2 fire blasts into the sky. Once you do, I'll take out the two watchtowers and enter the camp. As soon as I find Oishi, I'll free him. We will recover the archives and get the hell out of there. This mission is more dependant on you than on me, Kai."

"Got it," he responded.

"It'll be difficult," I said. "We still have no clue on how it looks like on the inside. Usually, main huts or posts are at the center of the camp, where persecutions take place and archives are located. We'll rendezvous at the hedgerows."

"Will do," he responded again.

"Let's do this right." I ran back to the entrance, being light on my feet. There still wasn't light in the sky, but that didn't matter. Sooner or later, I will have to attract attention to myself. I reached the tree-front at the entrance and remained hidden, putting on my clothe mask. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

I whistled.

**_PART III_**

Suddenly, a loud ruckus of fire and distruction was heard at the far side of the camp. Numerous shouts and chatters ravaged through the camp. I could hear running and pandemonium slowly waltzing away from me. Then, a loud crippling sound was heard. Fire blasts shot out from the bottom, like mortars, lighting up the sky.

It worked.

I ran towards the entrance and, upon instinct, immediately took out the watchtowers as the two men that occupied burned to death. Launching myself over the wall that was beside the enormous one, I landed inside the dark corridor of the camp. Attention was now drawn to the watchtowers, but more was still left on the wall. More and more fire blasts were lighting up the darkened sky. Kai is doing his part too well.

I then ran towards the center of the camp, sticking towards the shadows. I tried hard not to hesitate due to the pandemonium that took place at the moment, but the pure adrenaline and focus kept me going. When I reached the center, I amazingly found the prisoner barracks. There was no guard; the distraction is playing out very well.

Entering the barracks, shouts were heard coming among the cells.

"Save me!"

"Get me out of here!"

"I don't want to die!"

I couldn't do anything. I needed to find Oishi now, before Kai's distraction thins out. When I reached the end, I finally found him.

He looked up confusingly, "Kento?"

"No time for questions!" I said. I burnt off the lock and got him out of there as I explained, "Kai's out there handling the rabbit trap. We need to get the archives and get out of here!"

Oishi and I exited the barracks and ran towards the main post. The two of us were causing so much confusion. We broke down the door and entered the post, sending endless attacks towards the soldiers that occupied it. As soon as they were down, we entered the back room. The info was there.

"Quickly!" I yelled. "Look through the shelves!"

We frantically searched. I went row by row. I have never read this fast before. Then suddenly, I spotted what we were looking for and read the title.

I grabbed the papers inside and rolled it up, placing it inside an available satchel.

"Let's get out of here!"

We ran out the post. I made sure Oishi stayed in front. Soldiers chased us as they sent fire blasts towards us. When we got to the entrance (now the exit), we rampaged through it and ran towards the hedgerows.

"Follow me!" I yelled.

-

Light flooded the sky above us. It was dawn. Oishi and I managed to lose the soldiers that chased us. I wasn't even close to exhaustion, but Oishi was. We reached the hedgerows that were lined up cliffside. Kai was there.

"Oishi! Kento!" he yelled as he ran towards us. I couldn't believe it. This _was_ an amazing success. "We did it!"

"Let me see the archive file," Oishi said.

Kai peered over Oishi's soldier as he read it. They were completely glued to the title:

**RENEWED AMENDMENTS**


	5. Expedient

**Chapter 5:  
Expedient**

**_PART I_**

An informer and some guards flooded the war room and hesitated to confront the fire lord. The informer bowed and introduced himself.

"Good day, my lord," the informer said. "I have important news." Fire Lord Ozai was silent. The informer assumed that he should go on. "There was a raid that took place in Camp Hellfire. A fire nation raid."

"Do you not mean an Earth Kingdom raid?" Ozai responded.

"No, my lord," the instructor already began to sweat in the fire lord's presence. He gulped.

"Go on."

"A group of fire nation deserters attacked Camp Hellfire and stole some of our archives," the informer continued, "We are not sure what archives they stole, due to the wreckage they left behind. But, one deserter has been identified at a small village, where we recovered some of our injured soldiers, as Kento, a trainee from Camp Wingman."

"Ah, Captain Muran's regiment," Ozai confirmed.

"Correct, my lord," the informer responded, taking any chance he got to wipe off the sweat that trickled down his forehead. "We backtracked from there and found out that Wingman was ambushed by a band of Earth Kingdom soldiers that penetrated our country lines. Prisoners that occupied that camp were recovered by them, and so they left without any further harm."

"What are the casualties?" Ozai asked.

"Eighteen soldiers, my lord. Captain Muran is still alive and is at Wingman with some additional soldiers. We did a recount and discovered that three men were missing and were not part of the survivors or the dead. Muran identified them as Oishi, Kai, and Kento, who have also raided Hellfire."

"Are you telling me that three trainees crippled a mainstream camp and vanished without a trace?" Ozai furiously stated, which made the informer flinch.

"Unfortunately, my lord," the informer replied. "But, I know a very good bounty hunter that does his job very well. With your permission, I will hire him for you."

"I must meet this man," Ozai said. The guards led a man in dark clothing with a black mask and boots on into the war room. He was equipped with twin swords and had a belt with phosphorus-glowing spheres (supposedly bombs) attached to it.

He took off the mask and bowed, "Greetings, Fire Lord Ozai." He had a strong, bloodthirsty voice. "First off, let me state-"

"Save it," Ozai harshly said. "I have no interest in your name or background, I only want to know what you _can_ and _cannot_ do."

"That is no way to treat a bounty hunter, my lord," the mysterious hunter slyly stated. Ozai signaled two guards to take him away.

Realizing this as the guards approached him, the hunter whipped out his twin swords and rolled out of the way, leaving the guards completely confused. He then flung one swords towards a sentinel and killed him instantly, then took out the other one by slashing him across the chest. The hunter retrieved his other twin sword, which was lodged into a guard's torso. This only happened in less than five seconds.

"My name is Kalo," the hunter said, facing fearlessly towards Ozai as the informer whimpered in the corner of the room, "I will do anything I can to bring down the targets."

-

Oishi opened the folder and pulled the first few pages out, which blabbered about classifications and security over this folder. He then read the first renewed amendment: 14.

**RENEWED AMENDMENT 14/W: Prisoners of War**

Filed under top secret.

_Unauthorized approach to the main landmasses of the fire nation result in immediate siege and extermination of the person. The person will be assumed as a prisoner of war/hostile and will be dealt with in any which way that is decided by the fire lord or the prisoner's holder. If the person is a citizen of the Fire Nation, he or she will be set free. Otherwise, the guidelines still stand. This aspect will allow us the keep security from outside rebellion and hostility and will keep our country safe._

Close amendment.

**RENEWED AMENDMENT 15/C: Citizen Hostility**

File under top secret.

_Citizens near the fire lord's establishment will be assumed hostile and will be dealt with. Anyone who communicates with outsiders, excluding colonials, will face consequences. Citizen hostility will not be tolerated._

Close amendment.

"Interesting..." I said. "Why would Fire Lord Ozai issue these amendments?"

"They aren't issued out yet," Kai said. "These were about to be until we stole them."

"He's afraid," Oishi stated. "Last time he tried to close out the war, it went haywire. He wants to confirm his victory in an organized matter. The avatar is dead, and now, whatever Ozai wants is what he'll get."

It was official that the Fire Nation government is not reasonable. There is only one way to fix this.

After a long pause, I finally spoke. "The government is now blasphemous. The people are too subordinate to the fire lord and too scared to speak out against him. Plus, it will get them killed. This isn't a democracy anymore, this is a dictatorship."

"What are you suggesting we do?" Oishi asked.

I hesitated. "The fire nation..." I started, "...Must lose the war. We can't let them win or the entire world will fall under Ozai's dictatorship. The only way to fix this is through Reconstruction. The only path to Reconstruction is a defeat."

"So are you proposing that three men will work together to bring down the strongest empire in the world?" Kai declared.

"That is exactly what I'm proposing," I said. "But, we can't do it alone. We need another plan."

"Forget it," Kai exclaimed. "This is ludicrous! We're too small for this kind of thing to work!"

"That's what you said about Hellfire, Kai," I said.

"That's different! Compared to Hellfire, this is enormous!"

"Quiet, Kai," Oishi calmly said. "There is a way."

"What way?"

"We will need the help of the Southern Water Tribe."

**_PART II_**

Meanwhile, Ozai and his cabinet, along with the informer and Kalo, the bounty hunter, are discussing the deserters' possible locations.

"After an update on Camp Hellfire," Ozai's righthand general explained, "The deserters were seen heading southwest from the Li Mei Forest. We are certain that they will be heading that course if they want to get out of the country. I have sent 30 of my men there to blockade that corridor."

"Forty men won't cut it," Kalo said. "If these deserters infiltrated in and out of Hellfire, then they can definitely bring down _his_ men."

"My men are equally trained in the fine arts of Shaolin," the general furiously stated.

"Please," the bounty hunter sluggishly replied, "I can probably take them out in my sleep."

"Shut it, you ragtag bounty hunter," the general snapped. "You don't know the first thing about setting up an ambush. You probably don't even know how to feed yourself!"

"Enough," the flames around Ozai rose in a violent matter. "General Matis, if you have something against the hunter, I suggest you cut your communication from him." The general grimaced as Kalo smirked. "I do not care about your men or your skills. I want those archives now before they reach the outside. Our victory will subside if we do not retrieve that information. Kalo!"

"Yes, my lord," the hunter answered.

"You will begin your mission at dawn," the fire lord explained, "You're original amount will be doubled if you capture them alive. I want to see these bastards die myself."

"As you wish, my lord," Kalo responded.

"And for the rest of the cabinet, hunt out information containing anything about these three deserters. Family, records, history: whatever. I want to grind them to the ground!"

-


	6. Gunpowder

**Chapter 6:  
Gunpowder**

I was lucky to have these two soldiers by my side; Oishi and Kai make a perfect combination. Oishi, age 33, never panicks about anything that might go wrong or that already has, and like every "old" man, he is full of wisdom and experience. He may not be the strongest firebender out here, but he has the brains to come up with crucial ideas and not conduct any stupid, unnecessary mistakes. Though Kai, 19, isn't the highest branch on the tree, he does have muscle. Whenever we need firepower, Kai is the man. I'm somewhat the same age as Kai, just a shade over 8 months.

We settled in a large basin that was filled with trees and shrubs. Reconnoitering, I observed that the war has reached this part of the fire nation. There were burnt fields that ranged significant distances, then were cut off by large gaps and crevasses that emerged in an organized and symmetrical matter. Usually, small mountains like that are scattered about, but this seemed like it was part of a war. Inspecting further, I crawled out of the basin, keeping an obscured figure behind the knee-high shrubs.

The earthbended residues that had burnt markings on the front face indicated that the earthbenders here were taking heavy attacks from the fire nation and were using them for cover. The depiction of the burns on the grass and trees on the opposite side meant that there was a retreat, since, only for a while, the firebenders attacked the opposite direction. Assuming that the earthbenders were blocked off from the other side by another squad of firebenders, they had to stop and defend, hopefully to survive and wait for any reinforcements. Unfortunately, telling by the amount of crevasses and residues that resulted from the shield production, the earthbenders seemed desperate. There was one logical result: the battle was won by the fire nation.

Wanting to explore further, I suddenly heard a call from Kai, "Hey, Kento, don't wander off!" I returned to the basin and slid down the steep sides and jumped to the bottom.

"Man, I'm starving," Oishi said. "Haven't eaten anything in days..."

"We'll have to go into the markets, but for now, we need to think of a plan to get past the coastal blockades," I said. We were all exhausted from not having any food in days, but we had event after event that were life-and-death situations. "I read a little further on the pamphlet, and found out that Fire Lord Ozai has issued a blockade to surround the eastern coast of the main landmass, you know, in addition to Renewed Amendment 14." I was cut off from Kai's growling stomach. I paused. "All right, fine, let's go get some food."

Markets. They were the essential details that made up the forests of the Fire Nation, complete with villages that contained awkward citizens, and not to mention the rogue bandits. The Fire Nation government doesn't acquire too much of the forest, since they have most of their compounds and installations near mountains and hedgerows, which make up most of the country. Over the decades, from what I've learned, the nation government is having compounds shut down and demolished from the main landmass and are developing more in islands that branch off from the landmass. This act will "allow" earthbenders to focus their energy on these compounds and leave the fire lord's grounds free from harm.

We couldn't be seen in these kinds of clothes; black attire symbolizes mystery and hostility. It will attract too much attention to us and that will be too overwhelming. Kai snuck inside an empty residence and stole three uniforms, then returned to us. We stored our original attire in a hidden location somewhere in the basin (for future reference) and were dressed in the new ones.

Before entering the market, which we have recently spotted, there appeared to be a large bulletin that was attached to a tree nearby the market corridor. A man mounted on an ostrich horse has updated the bulletin by posting new pieces of paper that had illustration on them. He then trotted along and left.

"Go ahead," I said to Kai and Oishi. They entered the market.

I approached the bulletin slowly and observed the illustration. It was a warning poster that said to be on the lookout for three adverse deserters that are heading southwest towards the coast. It had paintings of me, Oishi, and Kai on it. Automatically, I tore the sheet of paper off its adhesive and crumpled it up, tossing it into the woods. I continued to the market to catch up with Oishi and Kai.

-

It has been a long day in the war room. Ozai returned to his post, taking a seat on the throne as the cabinet members gathered to sit at the meeting table.

"Let us begin by an update on Camp Wingman," General Matis declared. Ozai nodded. "Due to the extensive damages, us cabinet members have decided that we shall demolish the camp and reorganize Wingman at our Western Islands. All we need is your confirmation, my lord."

"What will be of the men who are at Wingman?" Ozai asked.

"They will be transferred to Hellfire, my lord."

"Very well," Ozai responded. "Does anyone have an update on the deserters?"

"I do, sir," Admiral Charr boasted. He cleared his throat. "The wanted posters that you have issued have been developed and sent to all markets and villages. We are working on the remaining ones and shall deliver them to our deliverers immediately."

"We cannot expose our bounty hunter to the public," Ozai stated. "I don't trust him. He can easily inform the outside about our forces. He has already seen the inner workings of our main compound."

"I have an update on the bounty hunter, my lord," General Topai replied. "We have sent some of our best stealth sentinels to keep a close eye on hunter Kalo."

"He is too good of a hunter," Ozai remarked. "His senses are very accurate. Nevertheless, let us focus on the war. The blockade is good, but not good enough. If the earth kingdom can ambush us from within our main landmass, then we need more soldiers there."

"We are evaluating our soldiers, sir," Admiral Charr stated. "Firebending instructor Mokiyoti has taught our higher-ranked soldiers in the fine arts of Shaolin. It is a more progressive form of improvement than ordinary firebending practice."

"If I may cut in, my lord," General Topai hesitated, "I have recieved some information containing the background and family of one of the deserters."

Suddenly, the two giant doors which led into the war room opened and slammed. The informer entered the war room, looking like he had some big information.

"My lord, I have important news," the informer declared, grabbing the cabinet's attention. "It is the weapons update you asked for." The fire lord shadow nodded. "PyroCouncil is developing a new projectile weapon."

"Projectile?" Ozai echoed. "It must be new."

"Yes, my lord," the informer replied. "It is a portable weapon. It should be in very affective use in the frontlines. We have combined sulfur and potassium nitrate into a lethal powder-like substance. We are trying to infuse it into the projectile weapon that PyroCouncil has designed."

"Excellent," said Ozai. The cabinet seemed confused, indicating that the whole weapon operation they were discussing right in front of them was top secret. "Cabinet members, I have ordered one of our more creative installations to invent a lethal weapon that will help us close out the war before Sozin's Comet arrives. Not only will this weapon do this, but it will also create a boundary between modern-day warfare and the future. We are looking forward into seeing this new weapon."

"Yes, my lord," the informer said.


	7. Kalo

**Chapter 6:  
Kalo**

It was the dead of night. Kalo, who had just taken out one of the sentinels that were following him, was hiding in the treetops of Li Mei forest. He sat on a branch and kept a lookout for any moving shadows. Then, he slowly proceeded down the forest; from treetop to treetop. He isn't an acrobat, but does have good mobility. Suddenly, when he reached the next treetop, he saw the back of a sentinel facing towards him. Silently, and swiftly, he took out a dagger and slit the sentinel's throat, catching him before he fell into the leaf-covered ground. He then set the dead sentinel against a sturdy branch, proceeding towards the Southeast border.

Unfortunately, being the unperfect hunter that he is, he stepped on a not-so-strong branch and fell to the ground after a 10-foot freefall, rebounding by rolling to his feet. He attracted the attention of 5 sentinels. This was the rule: if the sentinels were spotted by one of their subjects, they must kill it.

Before Kalo could attack, a sentinel spoke. "Wait! Wait! We have a message for you!" He picked up a branch and set it on fire, creating some light. "It's from Fire Lord Ozai. About your reward."

Kalo's yield of daggers, swords, and blades frightened the sentinels. He slid them back into his canisters and holders, putting the small ones in the canisters that wrapped around his belt and the primary swords in the canister attached to the back of his black suit. "Why be so subtle?" he asked.

"We weren't really sure what we were dealing with until you killed one of our comrades," the sentinel responded.

"He tried to kill me."

"Let's get to the point. Ozai is growing impatient. The deserters have obtained top secret government files. If they reach the coast and blow past the southeast blockade, then the fire nation is doomed. And we all love money, don't we? You will recieve 1500 Gold pieces for each outsider you bring back."

"1500?" Kalo replied. 4500 Gold Pieces... it's hard to argue with that.

"Now you understand how urgent it is to capture these deserters," the sentinel declared.

Deserters. That word was glued onto Kalo's mind. "I'll get what he wants," Kalo said. "Just tell him it will take a while." Before the sentinels could respond, Kalo jumped to the treetops above him, sticking to the darkness.

The other sentinels were confused. "What does he mean by 'take a while?'"

"It means that he knows something we don't know." The angered sentinels continued to follow the unwitting Kalo.

-

Oishi and I were discussing our approach on the coast and our escape from the blockade. To do this by naval means, it would be impossible, but aerial means may be possible. The problem is, where are we to find an aerial source?

"Fire nation rebel squadrons," Oishi responded. "There are plenty of them that run along the coast. They always cross the water blockade to get to the Earth Kingdom."

"How are we going to find a rebel squad?" I said.

"My grandfather used to serve in the resistance forces at the Earth Kingdom," Kai cut in. "You'll most likely find them in the mountains. They always settle in the mountains to keep a lookout for messenger hawks. Many of them are being used late in the war."

"We can't just go up to a rebel squad and ask for help. It's not common."

"And I'm not gonna go near those imbeciles anyway," Kai responded.

"What else can we do?" Oishi said. "A welcome wagon is the last thing I'll ever think of in these kinds of situations. The Kang Mountain Range is nearby. We'll leave for there at mid-day. Just remember, it will not be us that will find them, it will be them that will find us."

Secretly, I was familiar with the rebel squads of Kang Mountain Range. They are very skilled in archery and swordsmanship; two very elite characteristics that can tell anything about a soldier.

-

Fire Lord Ozai and the cabinet members were discussing fire nation presence in the ocean. Presence in the ocean is very important. It is a fundamental of the fire nation. They rule out the other nations by naval means due to naval presence. Their quantity of islands is an advantage in this trait. That's why they have such a good skill in sea power.

"We've called back some of our weaker ships to defend the water blockade," General Matis began.

"We need to keep the Southeast Blockade strong if we want the deserters captured," General Topai added.

"Of course," Ozai replied.

"Sir, I disagree," Admiral Charr responded. Everyone's attention, even the informer, who was writing every single detail down of what was happening in his journal for fire nation primary source, was at Charr.

"Oh?" Ozai said.

"Sir, if there's one thing I know, it's common sense," Admiral Charr stated slowly, intimidating the generals. "I want you to think about this very clearly, sir. There is a reason that we should know what archives that they have stolen. They have a folder of top secret amendments that could infuriate fire nation politicians. Tell me, what is one place that is so distant from the fire nation, yet is a part of it?"

"The earth kingdom colonies," Ozai answered, sounding a bit surprised.

"Exactly. If these three deserters reach the colonies and show Governor Lee the archives, then we are thrown off the cabinet. And all of the fire nation's rage and fury will turn onto you, sir."

Everyone could sense Ozai thinking hard on this. Should they direct extra naval strength on the Northeast blockade or Southeast blockade? And if they get past the blockade, which is highly likely, what will they do next?

"Admiral Charr," Ozai said, "You are taking full control over our naval fleet. General Matis, you are now in control of ground division. I want more sea presence in the Northeast blockade, and keep the weak ships back."

"But, my lord," General Matis said. "We're not even sure if the deserters will be able to even reach the coast!"

"If they do or don't, there will be more of them," Ozai declared. "General Topai, send a message to Hellfire. Tell Captain Muran and the Wingman soldiers to report here for an upcoming mission. We're taking a hiking trip in the mountains."

* * *

It has been about two full weeks since we've abandoned our post at Camp Wingman. Just thinking about it made it seem like it was a year ago... I was stuck in a tent with three strangers: Oishi, Kai, and Io. Io; he's long gone. 

I seemed a little tense when we began to navigate the Kang Mountain Range. This vast heep of rocks and dirt seemed endless. Then again, freedom fighters should be swarming across these mountains. Pretty soon, I'll have a bow and arrow to my head.

"When are these guys supposed to show up?" Kai asked, taking heavy steps.

"Quiet, Kai," Oishi stated. "We don't want them to know about our business. They can be watching us right now." The view from the mountains was really breathtaking. The plains and rivers were vast and the grasslands went far as the eye could see. I could even take a glimpse at another mountain range; a bigger one, silhouetted in the distance. But for a ragtag rock-filled dirt-covered mountain range like the Kangs to be in the middle of this wonderland, it seemed ominous; tenacious.

"The fire lord is great!" Kai intentionally yelled, sounding very false. "He's my hero! I wish there were more people like him; the fire lord."

Nothing was heard, besides a stray wolf.

"This is ridiculous," I said, as the three of us entered a small crater in the mountain. "How do we know if they are here? And when will we know?"

Suddenly, someone jumped out from the boulders behind us and tackled me into the ground, rolling off and then yielding a slightly bent sword. In an uneasy matter, I got up, seeing Kai and Oishi in a battle stance towards the black-clothed figure. He seemed to be directing towards me, the mysterious soldier.

"Are you part of the Kang rebel squadron?" Oishi asked.

"You wish," the black soldier replied. He then hurled a dagger at Oishi, forcing him to duck and recover as he sent numerous fire blasts at the masked figure.

Kai attempted to blast off the figure's head, but was unsuccessful. Me and Oishi took turns trying to knock the black soldier down. He reflected the attacks with his sword, either making them invalid or sending them right back at us. The figure was very good at manuever; any chance he got, he'd roll out for a breather and retrieve his misfired daggers, only to hurl them at us once more.

Without warning, the figure jumped from stone to stone up to the edge of the mountain crater. He picked up a harpoon from the ground, which he had set there, and fired it at us. We tried to dive out of the way, but the harpoon dispersed into a net, hence getting us caught in the net. It was airtight, and none of us could even budge.

Wait, if he isn't part of the Kang Mountain Range rebel squad, or the fire nation, he must be... a bounty hunter. He walked up towards us; I could see his shadow on me.

"Looks like I got 'em," he said. A messenger hawk landed on his soldier as he was finishing up a letter, then rolling it into a scroll and inserting it into the hawk's back container and closing it. The hunter showed a hand signal to the hawk, which I couldn't catch. The hawk flew off into the distance.

"Who are you?" I asked. Without warning, he kicked me across the face. Everything went black...


End file.
